


Birthday

by _thelostcity (thelostcity)



Category: NCIS
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-06
Updated: 2011-05-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:08:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22102351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelostcity/pseuds/_thelostcity
Summary: "So," Kate began, "what was your worst?"(originally posted to LJ on 5/6/2011)
Relationships: Anthony DiNozzo & Jethro Gibbs
Comments: 2
Kudos: 68





	Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> For those we have loved and lost. May we always remember the hilarious things you said at Christmas.
> 
> \-----
> 
> Many years ago now, my grandmother died on my birthday and my mother waited all day to call and tell me because she thought I had a final exam. We do remember the hilarious things she said at Christmas <3

"So," Kate began, "what was your worst?"

"Oh no, Katie, I asked you first." Tony leaned back in his chair, feet up on his desk and hands behind his head.

They were taking advantage of a lull in the bullpen. Searches were running and evidence was processing. They had nothing else to do until one or the other finished.

"Fine. Mine was," she paused, running through possible scenarios in her head, "Mine was probably when I was ten. I wanted rainbow colors, not rainbows, rainbow colors. You know, red plates, purple napkins, yellow cutlery, that kind of thing. Not only did my mother get me Rainbow Brite plates and napkins, everything else was pink. This awful, pale pink color. I hated pink, and she still got it. I was so angry I refused to eat my cake." Kate chuckled at the memory.

"McGee!"

The man in question, who'd just walked into the bullpen, glanced up warily, "What, Tony?"

"What was your worst birthday?"

"What? Why?"

"Because!"

McGee looked to Kate. She shrugged, "I wanted to know when Gibbs' birthday was, and it evolved into terrible birthday party stories."

"When is Gibbs' birthday?"

"November 10," Tony supplied.

"Yeah, but...that's the Marine Corps' birthday, Tony."

Tony raised his eyebrow, "Are you saying that it's impossible for the bossman's birthday to also be November 10?"

"Uh, no, but isn't that a really weird coincidence?"

"Gibbs doesn't believe in coincidences, Probie, you know that. Clearly he was destined by the Fates to join the Corps."

McGee didn't look convinced.

"Story, Probie! Now!"

He jumped, "Um, it's really embarrassing, kind of."

"Of course it is, Tim, these are bad birthday stories!" Kate rolled her eyes.

"Well, I was 15, and I was having a couple of friends over, and, well, my dad forgot to go out and get plates beforehand. So, he, uh," McGee started turning red, "He used the leftovers from my sister's party a few months earlier."

Tony leaned forward in anticipation, trying (not very hard) to suppress his mirth, he could guess where this was going.

"She'd had a My Little Pony themed party. I was mortified. It was only my closest friends, so it's not like the entire school knew, but still. It was bad."

Kate and Tony both burst out laughing. Not the worst thing in the world, but a fifteen-year-old boy having a My Little Pony-themed birthday party? That is still pretty awful.

"Hey, what do you think Gibbs' worst birthday is?" McGee voiced the question.

Tony scoffed, "Like any birthday would dare to be bad for Gibbs."

"No, really. Everyone's got something. Even if it was just bad for them and no one else thinks it was. There's got to have been something."

Just then Gibbs strode into the bullpen. "Phone call."

The three of them blinked. Even for Gibbs that was rather random. Just then, Tony's desk phone rang. They all stared.

"That was just...freaky, Boss."

Gibbs glared. "You gonna answer it or what, DiNozzo?"

"Tony's desk...uh huh...yeah...be right there, Abs." He hung up. "Abby's got something for us, Boss."

Nodding, Gibbs stood and headed toward the elevator. "McGee, Kate, keep working. DiNozzo, with me."

Once inside the elevator, Tony decided to take his life into his hands; he hit the emergency stop. Gibbs looked at him out of the corner of his eye and raised an eyebrow.

"Nobody's that good Gibbs, not even you." Tony watched as Gibbs smiled ruefully. "So, a phone call? What kind of phone call necessitates a 'worst birthday' ranking?" Tony was very carefully not mocking him. For Gibbs to classify it as the worst, it had to be pretty bad. Especially since he was hoping no one would catch on that he had actually answered McGee's query and not merely anticipated a real phone call.

"You're too smart for your own good, DiNozzo. Though I did know Abby was going to call."

Tony smirked. "Of course you did." Now Tony was mocking him.

Gibbs sighed a little and looked away. "Nineteenth birthday. Was out at a bar with some buddies 'til my CO came in and said I had a phone call. It was my dad. Mom died that morning, aneurysm. He waited to call because he didn't want to ruin my whole day."

Unvoiced, but still heard, was the _not like it mattered, day's always ruined now_.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah. Me, too."

Tony restarted the elevator and they made their way toward Abby's lab in silence. Before they arrived, though, Tony put his arm out to stop Gibbs. Reaching into his pocket, Tony pulled out a box of Milk Duds.

"Happy birthday, Gibbs."

Gibbs stared at the candy, his favorite, for a half a second before smacking Tony on the back of the head.

"Stop hacking my file, DiNozzo." But he smiled as he said it.


End file.
